Oldest Backgammon Table Found in Iran

I have lifted the below article from here, because the site was very slow and I didn't want to subject anyone else to it. ================================== Iran Oldest Game, "Backgammon" Jan 11, 2007 Iran's Burnt City Throws up World's Oldest Backgammon Originally published on Dec 4, 2004 The oldest backgammon in the world along with 60 pieces has been unearthed beneath the rubbles of the legendary Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchistan province, southeastern Iran. Iranian archeologists working on the relics of the 5,000-year-old civilization argue this backgammon is much older than the one already discovered in Mesopotamia and their evidence is strong enough to claim the board game was first played in the Burnt City and then transferred to other civilizations. "The backgammon reveals intriguing clues to the lifestyle of those people," said Mansour Sajjadi, head of the research team. "The board is rectangular and made of ebony, which did not grow in Sistan and merchants used to import it from India." He added the board features an engraved serpent coiling around itself for 20 times, thus producing 20 slots for the game, more affectionately known in Persian as Nard. The engraving, artistically done, indicates artisans in the Burnt City were masters of the craft. "The 60 pieces were also unearthed inside a terracotta vessel beside the board. They were made of common stones quarried in the city, including agate and turquoise," Sajjadi added. Experts still wonder why they played the game with 60 pieces and are trying to discern its rules, but it at least shows it is 100-200 years older than the one discovered in Mesopotamia. They are also intrigued that inhabitants of ancient civilizations, widely believed to be concerned with their daily survival, could afford to indulge in such luxuries as playing board games. © Iranian.ws

Postal Experiments

Considering my current position in my job, I found this Improbable Research to be very amusing! Wastrel On! (Listening to Paloma by Carbon Leaf)

A Letter to Movie Tavern

After recent visits to The Movie Tavern -- a local movie theatre with a full bar, kitchen & wait staff -- were negative experiences, I wrote this letter in hopes that they would wake up. I'll post the response (if I get one). ==================================================================================== Greetings, I am writing this email as a concerned consumer and to commit to writing the previously only vocalized issues I have experienced at your establishment. First, you should know that I am a dedicated movie-goer and have been for the greater part of two decades. I visit your location several times a month occasionally visiting several times in a week. You would certainly know my face if not my name. I do not venture to other theatres overly much, as yours is the most convenient; and truthfully the option of having a beer & a pizza with my movie is quite addicting. You are, undoubtedly, aware that you have direct competition opening just a few miles down the highway in the form of the Studio Movie Grill. This competition could very easily draw hard-earned, established clientele from your halls. It is to this end that I am writing this email. I believe in loyalty and in supporting my local shops; I have no desire to stray further away than necessary. However, as of late the thing that drives my loyalty -- customer service -- has been severely lacking from your employees. It's not unusual for me to arrive and find a seat 15 minutes prior to a movie yet still have no opportunity to place my order even a full 15 minutes into the movie. Since the Movie Tavern purports to provide an environment wherein I am waited on I find the delay in wait-service distracting and deplorable. Your need to remove the "coaster lights" from service was unfortunate, but the current method of standing the menu on end does not work as, apparently, the servers cannot see them effectively. Or perhaps it's simply the fact that in the woeful "me-first" generation from which you must pluck your employees there simply are none left that care. Whatever the cause, the situation that has resulted from it is difficult to support. I have not enjoyed my last half-dozen (or more) visits to your theatre because of the lack of care and lack of respect the majority of your employees exhibit (there are exceptions, but sadly I don’t recall their names). This is of great concern to me. I have very much enjoyed having a Movie Tavern in my neighborhood and hope very much that a Movie Tavern will remain in my neighborhood for many years to come. But, obstacles to that longevity are in your way. I entreat you to find a solution to your service/employee issue prior to the Studio Movie Grillopening its doors (in 7 days), else long-term customers such as myself may very well re-locate to an environment that cares more. Sincerely, A Concerned Movie-Lover

I'm Supergirl (and the Joker)?

I was delighted to find a "What Superhero Are You?" test online. I've taken all the others, but I've never figured out just which Marvel or DC superhero best describes me. I'm pretty sure I still haven't. Maybe it's because I have the brain of a girl; but I'm pretty damn sure I'm not lean & muscular nor am I a defender of the innocent. Nuts. I REALLY wanted to be Batman. Your results: You are Supergirl

Supergirl 65% The Flash 65% Green Lantern 65% Superman 60% Batman 60% Hulk 60% Spider-Man 50% Wonder Woman 50% Catwoman 50% Robin 42% Iron Man 30%

Lean, muscular and feminine. Honest and a defender of the innocent.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test UPDATE: I just found the Villain version, too. I guess if I can't be Batman, I may as well be Batman's nemesis *mwahh hahh* Your results:
You are The Joker

The Joker 60% Magneto 58% Lex Luthor 58% Dr. Doom 52% Poison Ivy 50% Dark Phoenix 50% Apocalypse 48% Green Goblin 48% Mr. Freeze 47% Catwoman 44% Mystique 44% Riddler 41% Venom 39% Kingpin 39% Two-Face 32% Juggernaut 28%

The Clown Prince of Crime. You are a brilliant mastermind but are criminally insane. You love to joke around while accomplishing the task at hand.

Click here to take the Supervillain Personality Quiz
Ooohh, that was fun. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You by Man)

Boy Brain? Girl Brain?

Take this test to find out. ;-) My results: The result came back on a graph with a 0 in the middle and 100s on each end. To the right was the word Men, while on the left was the word Women. I scored a 25 on the Women side; so I guess I have a woman's brain in this body o'mine. Here are the actual results of the test I took: Part 1 Angles This task tested your ability to identify the angle of a line by matching it with its twin. This is a spatial task, which looks at how you picture space. Your score: 19 out of 20 Average score for men: 15.1 out of 20Average score for women: 13.3 out of 20 If you scored 0 - 12: You have more of a female brain. Scientists believe that people with a female brain find it more difficult to judge the slope of a line because they're not wired for spatial tasks. In past studies, 65 per cent of people who scored in this range were women. If you scored 13 - 17: You found this test neither hard nor easy. This suggests your brain has male and female traits when it comes to spatial ability. If you scored 18 - 20: You have more of a male brain. On average, men outperform women in this task and those with more mathematical knowledge tend to score quite high as well. In past studies, 60 per cent of the people in this range were men. Interestingly, men's testosterone levels fluctuate through the seasons and studies have shown that men's scores are lower in the spring, when their testosterone levels are at their lowest. Spot the difference This task tested your ability to identify which objects changed position. You lost points, if you incorrectly identified objects. Your score: 86% Average score for men: 39% Average score for women: 46% If you scored between 0 - 33%: You may have more of a male brain. Scientists say men tend to under perform in this task. The corpus callosum, the part of the brain that links the right and left hemispheres, is a fifth larger in women. This means women can process visual and other signals at the same time more easily than men. There is also a theory that oestrogen levels in women give them an added advantage in spatial memory. If you scored between 34 - 66%: You may have a balanced female-male brain. If you scored between 67 - 100%: Those with a female-type brain generally score in this range. Your ability to remember where objects are may serve as an advantage to you when you're trying to find your way around places. You're more capable of recalling landmarks to get from one place to another. ================================================================= Part 2 Hands You said your left thumb was on top when you clasped your hands together. Right thumb on top: This suggests the left half of your brain is dominant. Many studies have tried to establish whether there is a relationship between handedness and brain dominance. Some scientists believe that if you are left brain dominant, you would be more verbal and analytical. Left thumb on top: This suggests the right half of your brain is dominant. Some studies theorise that as a right brain dominant person, you may excel in visual, spatial and intuitive processes. However, these theories are debatable and leave much to be said about the small percentage of people who are ambidextrous. ================================================================= Part 3 Emotions and Systems This task looked at whether you prefer to empathise or systemise. Empathising Your empathy score is: 7 out of 20 Average score for men: 7.9 out of 20Average score for women: 10.6 out of 20 Empathisers are better at accurately judging other people's emotions and responding appropriately. If you scored 15 and above, you are very empathic and would be an ideal person to comfort people in a time of crisis. Women in general are better at empathising. Systemising Your systemising score is: 12 out of 20 Average score for men: 12.5 out of 20Average score for women: 8.0 out of 20 Systemisers prefer to investigate how systems work. A system can be a road map, flat pack furniture, or a mathematical equation – anything that follows a set of rules. A score of 15 and above suggests you're good at analysing or building systems. Men in general are better at systemising. Scientists are keen to learn more about people who score high or low on both tests. They want to find out whether or not empathising and systemising are linked. Some scientists claim that our empathy and systemising abilities can be traced all the way back to prehistoric times. Eyes This task tested your ability to judge people's emotions. Your score: 8 out of 10 Average score for men: 6.6 out of 10 Average score for women: 6.6 out of 10 If you scored 0 - 3: Do you think you're good at judging how another person is feeling? Your score suggests this doesn't come to you quite so naturally. If you scored 4 - 6: Your result suggests you have a balanced female-male brain and find it neither easy nor difficult to judge people's emotions. If you scored 7 - 10: Your result suggests you are a good empathiser, sensitive to other people's emotions. Women generally fall into this category. Professor Baron-Cohen at the University of Cambridge says that people usually perform better than they expect to on this test. Men often think a person's eyes are sending signals of desire when that's not the case at all. ================================================================= Part 4 Fingers We asked you to measure your ring and index fingers. Your ratios came to: Right Hand: 1.02 Left Hand: 0.97 Average ratio for men: 0.982 Average ratio for women: 0.991 It's thought that your ratio is governed by the amount of testosterone you were exposed to in your mother's womb. The ratio of the length of your index finger to the length of your ring finger is set for life by as early as three months after conception. Even during puberty, when we experience intensive hormonal changes, the ratio stays the same. Men generally have a ring finger that is longer than their index finger, which gives them a lower ratio than women, whose ring and index fingers are usually of equal length. Studies have found that men and women with lots of brothers generally have more masculine finger ratios. ================================================================= Part 5 Faces This task looked at how you rate the attractiveness of a series of faces. The images you looked at were digitally altered to create slight differences in masculinity. Your choices suggest you prefer more feminine faces. Highly masculinised male faces possess more extreme testosterone markers such as a long, broad and lower jaw, as well as more pronounced brow ridges and cheekbones. Interestingly, women's preferences are said to vary across the menstrual phase. A more masculine face is preferred during the 9 days prior to ovulation, when conception is most likely. A typical 'attractive' female face possesses features such as a shorter, narrower, lower jaw, fuller lips and larger eyes than an average face. ================================================================= Part 6 3D shapes This task tested your ability to mentally rotate 3D shapes. Your score: 9 out of 12 Average score for men: 8.2 out of 12 Average score for women: 7.1 out of 12 If you scored 0 - 6: Do you find yourself having to physically rotate a map to point in the direction in which you're travelling? This might explain why you scored in the lower range in the 3D shapes test. Twice as many women as men score in this category. Previous studies suggest that those with a female-type brain or with an arts background fall into this range. If you scored 7 - 9: In past studies, 50 per cent of the people who scored in this range were women and 50 per cent were men. If you scored 10 - 12: Are you an engineer or do you have a science background? People with these skills tend to score in this range. Past studies have concluded that people in this range have a more male brain. Nearly a third of men who took this test got full marks, whereas less than 10 per cent of women managed the same. Words This task looked at your verbal fluency. Your score: you associated 15 word(s) with grey and you named 10 word(s) that mean happy. We are assuming that all the words you entered are correct. Average score for men: 11.4 words total Average score for women: 12.4 words total If you produced 1 - 5 words: You are more of the strong, silent type with a male brain. You probably find it easier to express yourself in non-verbal ways, preferring action rather than words. If you produced 6 - 10 words: Most people in this range have a female-type brain. Women are said to use both sides of the brain when doing verbal tasks while men mainly use their left side. Studies have shown that girls develop vocabulary faster than boys. This difference in brain power is caused by levels of pre-natal testosterone. Ultimatum This task asked you how you would divide money. If you had to split £50 with someone, you said you would demand £25 So far on the Sex ID test, men have demanded 51.6% (£25.80) of the pot and women have demanded 51.0% (£25.50), on average. Sex differences are small in this task. Demanding less than 60% of the pot (ie £30) is more typically female. Demanding more than 65% of the pot (ie £32.50) is more typically male. Scientists believe that people with lower testosterone levels tend to take fewer risks so they are probably more willing to keep less for themselves. Those with higher testosterone levels tend to drive a harder bargain and are less compromising. Men's testosterone levels fluctuate over the seasons and are at their lowest levels during the springtime. This is said to influence their bargaining power.

Smoking Laws

and it's about time. Ft. Worth is seriously looking at changing the smoking laws within the city limits; and it can't come a moment too soon for my tastes. Don't get my wrong, I'm not interested in taking away the rights of others, I'm much more interested in protecting the rights of me. If there was a bar in my general area who's owner had the balls to make it a non-smoking bar, believe me when I say that's the bar I would frequent. I hate coming home after a long day at work smelling like an ashtray simply because I decided to stop at a pub on the way home for a quick beer. That's my right - stopping for a beer on the way home. I'm not telling smokers they can't smoke, I'm just asking them to choose a different location in which to indulge their habit. Now, the city of Ft. Worth is asking them to do the same. Apparently, the City of Ft. Worth put together an ad hoc group called The Smoking Ordinance Review ad hoc Work Group to gather together recommendations in regards to the existing Ft. Worth smoking ordinance. This is the list they have created and will be discussing in the public meetings scheduled over the next two months. The work group is looking to enact a ban:

• in Restaurants
• in Bars
• in Billiard Halls
• Bingo Parlors
• in Bowling Centers
• in Business/Office Buildings
• in Service Lines, including those that extend out the doors of non-smoking facilities
• within 20 feet of any entrace or openable window of a non-smoking facility

They will provide exemptions for:

• Retail tobacco stores unless they open into a mall or another non-smoking venue
• Outside dining patios, except portions within 20 feet of facility's main entrance.
• Sexually-oriented adult entertainement businesses

If you want more information about the meetings, please contact the City of Ft. Worth Smoking Ordinance Hotline at 817-212-2710.

Bar owners, tobacco companies and smokers are in wild disagreement with the proposals arguing everything from A through Zed. Bar owners are claiming that their sales will go down, when in fact there exists massive data to prove the opposite. Tobacco companies are, of course, upset because they see a decline in sales. But, I expect they will see a decline in sales from the new "sin" tax that goes in effect on 1 January to the amount of $1.00 per pack. Smokers, the most vocal of the lot, are furious that their ability to blow their nasty exhalations at non-smokers will be diminished greatly. I look forward to day when I can, in my own city, walk into a bar and not immediately have to breathe the carcinogenic poisons being exhaled by others. I can do it in the states of California, New York, New Jersey, the countries of Scotland, England & Ireland, the city of El Paso; but I can't do it in the city in which I live. How frustrating. Make your voice heard and let them know that smoking is fine, in the privacy of your home or vehicle, but not in a public venue.

Wastrel On! (Listening to: Pride (in the Name of Love) by U2)

Enjoyable Diversion

This is a very enjoyable diversion, although I understand that addiction can occur. So enjoy, but be careful. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Baby, It's Cold Outside by Lee Ann Womack (featuring Harry Connick, Jr.))

Splashpower

I've been waiting for this for a LONG time. It appears that the consumer world at large is every bit as frustrated with the uselessness of current battery power as I am. So, some folks are taking it into their hands to correct it. My post from yesterday was one employable methodology. This Splashpower is another, much more elegant, solution. I sure as hell hope it works as advertised and that it's inexpensive enough for the commonman.

Trailer available

Oooh my... I'm a geek. I admit it. When I was just exiting High School, a new item swept through the geek world in the form of Transformers. Yeah, Transformers, those über-cool toy-cum-machine things. I bought and stole (yep...not proud of it, either) as many of them as I could because...well, because I'm a geek. And, it's about time for my geek to show again. The new Transformers Movie Trailer is available and I am just about as excited as I've ever been for a movie. As I said, I'm a geek. Check it out. Wastrel On!

news like this

It's news like this that does my little footy-heart good. Now if only we could convince the American populace at large that the sport really is worth watching. I fight the fight, walk the walk & talk the talk at bars & pubs across the country; but I encounter such immense resistance it's disheartening. In fact, the manager at one of my local bars just, pretty much, flat refuses to put footy on for me preferring instead to watch an infomercial about golf-clubs, or the cup-stacking championship or even the opening rounds of the World Domino Tour. Please. Wastrel On!

USB Batteries

Ok, now here's an idea who's time has come. It's long been known that Moore's law, and all the other tech-based theorems just don't seem to apply to batteries. Maybe that can changed one step at a time. Check these out: Groovy. I've not tried them yet, but the whole concept appeals to me greatly. You can read a review of them here. Wastrel On!

Lauren's Return Postponed

After nearly a year out, I was greatly looking forward to Lauren's return to the first XI tonight. But, it's not to be. Sometime between 6:15pm and 6:45pm it became so bloody foggy in ol' England that the Liverpool v Arsenal Carling Cup Quarterfinal has been postponed. Yes, the official, one Martin Atkinson, has deemed the match unplayable. So, for all of us gooners looking to watch Lauren on the pitch again...well too bad. Shan't happen today. Wastrel On! Listening to: Curve of the Earth by Matt Nathanson)

Och aye

Scottish Simpsons? What'll they think of next? Wastrel On!

A Travesty

A travesty on an immense scale!!

Eye Strain

Clever these. The first one gave me the most difficulty: Can you find the C? (Good exercise for the eyes!) OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Once you’ve found the C………. Find the 6! 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999699999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 9999999999999999999999999999999999 Once you’ve found the 6… Find the N! (it’s hard!!) MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMNMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM Thanks Wastrel On! (Listening to Awkward Buildings by J. Dimenna)